The Nation Party () was a conservative and nationalistic

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology, ...

developed as a third option within the then bipartisan system in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. It lasted from 1948 until 1953, when it was outlawed. The Nation Party was founded on July 19, 1948 by former

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

and chief of staff Fevzi Çakmak,

Osman Bölükbaşı Osman Bölükbaşı (1913 – February 6, 2002) was a Turkish people, Turkish politician and political party leader. Early life He was born at Hasanlar village of the former Mucur district in 1913. He completed his secondary education at the Is ...

, Enis Akaygen, Yusuf Hikmet Bayur, Mustafa Kentli, Osman Nuri Köni, Kenan Öner and Sadık Aldoğan. The founders were from a

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

clique within the Democrat Party (Demokrat Parti). One of the reasons for their establishment of the party was the claim that the Democrat Party was ineffective as opposition to the

Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (RPP; , CHP ) is a Kemalism, Kemalist and Social democracy, social democratic political party in Turkey. It is the oldest List of political parties in Turkey, political party in Turkey, founded by Mustafa Kemal ...

(CHP), the Turkish population was trapped between two political alternatives and a third alternative with a nationalistic ideology was necessary. Fevzi Çakmak was appointed as the honorary leader of the party and dubbed as the "Believer General". The Nation Party did not participate in the 1946 elections. Before the 1950 elections, on 8 April, Fevzi Çakmak made an announcement claiming that Republican People's Party's

oppression Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment of, or exercise of power over, a group of individuals, often in the form of governmental authority. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. No universally accepted model ...

was getting fiercer. Two days later, on April 10, he died from complications following a prostatectomy. At the elections on May 14, 1950, at which the Democrat Party had won 55% of the votes, it received 3.11% of the votes (250.414 votes) to win one seat, and one of the founders, Osman Bölükbaşı became an MP. In 1954, before the elections on May 2, the Nation Party was shut down and declared outlawed on grounds of "anti-

Laïcité (; 'secularism') is the constitutional principle of secularism in France. Article 1 of the French Constitution is commonly interpreted as the separation of civil society and religious society. It discourages religious involvement in governmen ...

" politics.

Ideology

The party, strongly opposed the CHP's understanding of religion and laicism, while also asserting that the DP was a controlled opposition party and that they are the real opposition. The party's program included such views as the establishment of a democratic administration, the removal of the Six Arrows from the constitution, the expansion of people's freedoms, the preparation of a general development program, and the monitoring of a liberal economic policy. The party also advocated the transition to a bicameral system.Millet Partisi kuruldu". ''Cumhuriyet Ansiklopedisi 1923-2000''. 2. Vol. İstanbul: YKY. May 2002. page. 132-133.

Successor parties

Republican Nation Party

The founders of the party, led by

, subsequently formed the Republican Nation Party (Cumhuriyetçi Millet Partisi) and won 5 seats in the parliament. All five MPs were from Kırşehir, the hometown of Bölükbaşı.

Republican Peasants Nation Party

On October 17, 1958, the Peasants' Party of Turkey merged with the Republican Nation Party to form the

Republican Peasants' Nation Party The Republican Villagers Nation Party (, CKMP), alternatively translated Republican Peasants' Nation Party, was a political party in Turkey. Fusions The party was founded after the fusion of two smaller nationalist parties. One of these partie ...

(Cumhuriyetçi Köylü Millet Partisi - CKMP). On June 12, 1960, following the May 27 coup d’état, the junta, dubbed the "

National Unity Committee The National Unity Committee () was a military committee formed following the 1960 Turkish coup d'état. It dissolved with the 1961 general election. Background Between 1950 and 1960, the ruling party in Turkey was Democrat Party (DP). Towar ...

", dissolved the parliament and on June 13, closed the district organizations of all political parties. In 1961, when the civil parliamentary system was once again in effect, on October 15, general elections were held, at which the Republican Peasants’ Nation Party received 14% of the votes to emerge as the third party and win 54 seats in the parliament and 16 senators. When the Justice Party emerged victorious at the 1963 elections, Osman Bölükbaşı, together with 28 MPs, resigned from CKMP to establish once more the Nation Party and be elected its president. Colonel Alparslan Türkeş joined the party in 1965 and turned the party into a more Pan-Turkic and Islamist party. In a 1969 party convention, the CKMP renamed itself to MHP.

Nation Party (1962)

In 1962, the name was reused when Osman Bölükbaşı and a group of deputies and senators left the CKMP after a conflict and founded a new party. After some initial electoral success the party did not win any seats in the 1973 general elections, eventually dissolving itself in 1977.

Nation Party (1992)

In 1992, the name was reused again when the Reformist Democracy Party (''Islahatçı Demokrasi Partisi''), led by Aykut Edibali, renamed itself as ''Millet Partisi''.

References

{{Authority control Turkish nationalist organizations Political parties established in 1948 Banned political parties in Turkey Banned far-right parties Defunct nationalist parties in Turkey Defunct conservative parties in Turkey 1948 establishments in Turkey Political parties disestablished in 1954 1954 disestablishments in Turkey 8th parliament of Turkey